In a move that appears to acknowledge Meta’s obligation to protect young users, the social media giant has agreed to an $18 billion settlement to resolve state claims that its addictive apps harmed teens. Before settling, Meta claimed it was protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for user posts. But the states focused their legal claims on the features of Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, arguing that Section 230 did not apply because the company had designed its software to be addictive.
The size of the settlement announced Aug. 26 has dominated headlines, but the deal is also notable because the tech giant has agreed to make fundamental changes to address teen social media addiction. The agreement stipulates that Meta will limit how long teens can use its platform and limit features that may fuel mental health issues, which may limit the user engagement that has drawn advertisers to its social media platforms.
The agreement is between Meta and a bipartisan group of attorneys general from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories.
The Meta agreement will likely end the bellwether federal trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where the states of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey sought $200 billion from the company for teen social media addiction it caused. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was expected to testify in the landmark trial about his platforms’ targeting of young users.
There appear to be discrepancies about the size of the settlement, with many of the attorneys general involved in the case announcing a $17 billion settlement, while Meta says it agreed to pay approximately $18 billion. According to Meta, it will distribute the $18 billion in annual installments over a 10-year period. Participating states would receive about 70% (about $12.7 billion) of the allocated payments over the decade.
Despite the announced settlements, Meta still faces other lawsuits from individuals and school districts. Some of those trials are expected to begin in the next few months.
Meta Calls on TikTok and YouTube to Participate
Meta’s announcement of the settlement agreement encouraged an industry-wide adoption of the safety features being implemented so that teens are protected across the apps they use most. Meta then asked TikTok and YouTube to join the company in adopting the new standards to ensure teens use the platforms in a healthy, responsible way. Meta stipulated that 30% (roughly $5.3 billion) of the settlement amount would be paid out once YouTube and TikTok:
- Implemented one-hour daily limits, night mode, and age assurance measures
- Each pays half of the 30% figure
“We want to ensure teens benefit from this new industry standard, but we cannot do it alone,” Meta said in an open letter that accompanied the settlement announcement. “These protections will only be truly effective if we work with our peers – TikTok and YouTube – to put the same measures in place.”
Meta Unveils New Protections for Minors
Meta says the following new child safety measures will automatically apply to individuals under 18 on Instagram and Facebook, with most protections remaining in place for 10 years:
Two-hour time limit. Meta would implement a two-hour daily time limit that teens can only turn off with parental consent. The limit would apply across Facebook and Instagram, with time spent on either app applying toward the two-hour limit, including when the company detects that the teen has multiple accounts.
Night mode. Apps would be blocked between midnight and 6 a.m. by default. For example, teens would not be able to post or view their Feed, Stories, Explore, or Reels.
School mode. Between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., notifications will be muted by default. While the apps are in school mode, teens will not receive push notifications, except for direct messages and alerts about their safety or account security.
Usage prompts. To encourage intentional use of Facebook and Instagram, teens will receive prompts after every 15 minutes of screen time. They will also receive prompts when their total daily usage reaches 60 or 90 minutes.
Control over feed algorithms. Teens can choose to default to a non-algorithmic feed that isn’t personalized by Meta’s recommendation systems. Parents can adjust their teen’s default experience to require the non-algorithmic feed.
Hidden likes. By default, teens won’t see the number of likes and reactions on their posts (or on posts from others)
Disabling extreme makeup filters. In addition to Meta’s existing policy of blocking teens from using cosmetic surgery filters, the company will block extreme makeup filters.
Age assurance. Meta will invest in stronger technology to catch accounts belonging to children under 13. It will also strengthen the technology it uses to identify the accounts of children between the ages of 13 and 17 to ensure they are subject to teen protections.
Strengthening parental control. The company will encourage parents to set up Meta’s supervision tools and give them new controls and insights.
Continuing Existing Protections
Meta also agreed to maintain its current standards and practices regarding:
Unwanted contact from strangers. The company will maintain its practice of defaulting teens into private accounts on Instagram and private default settings on Facebook. It will also continue to restrict potentially suspicious adults from contacting teens and make it more difficult for those adults to find, follow, or interact with teens.
Reporting of harmful content. Meta will continue providing easy ways for teens to report content that is concerning to them and work to improve its response times. It will also continue its work in protecting teens from potentially harmful experiences.
Age-appropriate content restrictions. Meta will maintain its standards so that teens are placed into the 13+ content settings by default.
What the Meta Settlement Means for Teens and Parents
The settlement between Meta and the state attorneys general signals that the company recognizes the legal risk associated with claims that its software is addictive to teens. This could also indicate that the social media giant will be open to settling other lawsuits based on its software design, not user content. Meta's call on YouTube and TikTok to help pay the settlement and implement safety features to protect teen users suggests its leaders may have concluded the other platforms are likely vulnerable to similar claims.
While changes across all social media platforms may take time, this is a significant legal step for parents, teens, and others concerned about social media risk for teens and children. As yet, it’s unclear when the new settings will take effect, how Meta will apply them across accounts and platforms, and how effectively Meta can identify and protect young users.
